


My Loyal Companion

by IamDaiBae



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Azure Moon - Freeform, Byleth wants to make sure his students are okay, Dimitri get an ESA, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route Spoilers, M/M, Mental Health Issues, No beta sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:40:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23918431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IamDaiBae/pseuds/IamDaiBae
Summary: "It was no secret that professor Byleth cared about his students, so when he sees that Dimitri is struggling, he reaches out to find a solution; an emotional support dog that will serve as a loyal companion for his student."This was originally a request I received on Amino to write about Byleth getting Dimitri a emotional support dog to cope with his trauma.This is an edited piece because I was misinformed so I edited a lot of my wording to make it more accurate and factually correct!
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 4
Kudos: 38





	My Loyal Companion

To anyone that knew him, they would tell you that Professor Byleth had grown quite fond of his class of students. Going from a mercenary who had never even bothered to learn anything about how the world works to creating lesson plans and investing genuine emotions into making sure his students were alright and thriving was a shock. Even to his father, Jeralt was the most surprised to see the change. Even if he didn’t physically emote, it was plain to see in his body language, the small light of life in his eyes when the brats would approach him to invite him to a meal and such. Out of all of his students, he was the closest to the Prince of Faerghus, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd. Originally, Byleth had nothing in particular to say about him, just standard professor opinions about how he was a pleasure to teach, he appreciated his hard work, and comments alike.

Remire Village changed things drastically for Byleth, and it was the first time that he had gotten a sense that the world around him was becoming a dangerous place. Seeing the villagers he once protected with his father trying to kill him was enough to be a wakeup call. But in typical Byleth sense, he didn’t let it get to him, at this point he was beginning to wonder why he couldn’t let it bother him. Though out of everyone, Dimitri was the one struggling the most, especially after he opened up about his family and the tragedy of Duscur. Naturally Byleth wanted to help, but his lack of emotions made it so he could not be the help he knew that Dimitri needed.

~

A few weeks after he and Dimitri had talked about the tragedy, Byleth had come up with an idea that would prove to be efficient. After talking with some people he’d looked up to professionally, such as his father, Hanneman and, with slight hesitation, Manuela. Though his father was just as lost as he was, Hanneman attempted, but offered little to no good solutions to the situation. Manuela surprised him. He invited her for tea and they spoke. He dealt with her initial flirting before he did insist on getting her opinion on something. It wasn’t hard to see that Dimitri was falling into a spiral, and even she wanted to make sure she could help in any way she could. Out of everyone, she was the most emotionally intelligent.

“It sounds like a severe case of post traumatic stress disorder.” The way she said it sounded so matter of fact, and the look of confusion on his face was enough to implore her to continue and explain further. Setting her tea cup down, she adjusted how she was sitting, visibly going from the laid back, casual woman he often saw to a professional who wanted to help. “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is the direct result after witnessing or living through a situation incredibly traumatic that directly links to anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks and oftentimes makes the person unable to move on from whatever that traumatic event may be. It isn’t rare for students here at Garreg Mach to have it, but after what you’ve told me and what is general knowledge, Dimitri is… Tormented by his past and he is lacking the proper resources to cope with it.” Manuela did her best to explain, and Byleth could only nod, slowly understanding what she was saying. It sounded like what Dimitri was going through, the anger he expressed during the fight made him begin to wonder if that was an accurate diagnosis.

“There have been very few ways to treat it though.” The news made Byleth’s shoulders fall slightly, hearing that there might not be a way to help him was disappointing, but Manuela grinned. “However, due to the amount of friendly animals such as cats and dogs that are around the monastery, we have been attempting to train some of the animals to be support animals that are used to treat mental illnesses such as this. We have a Blaiddyd Rex that is fully trained, and the trainers have been looking for someone that could use the emotional support.”

~

After his conversation with Manuela, he’d asked her to take him to meet the trainers and to see the animal, to gauge if it would be a proper match for a classroom and possibly dangerous conditions. Walking to the rightmost side of the cathedral, he went to the outdoor area and saw several different monks working with all sorts of animals. It was an interesting concept, and a good use for the animals around the monastery. After being approached and having a proper conversation, it was decided that Dimitri would receive the animal as a test for how effective it would be.

Byleth had sent someone to retrieve the Prince and he inspected the dog. It was a small sort of dog, barely reaching just below his knee, it had an orange coat with a white underbelly, along with a large black dot on its back. Happily it sat at his feet and wagged its tail. It was no secret that Byleth enjoyed the company of cats more than canines, but something about this dog made him feel more at ease.

Shortly, Dimitri and Dedue arrived in the area, and Byleth turned around, the dog moving to stand at his side. Both the two of them were confused, looking at their professor and wondering just why he had a dog at his side. Byleth motioned them to come over. “This is Viribus, and he has been assigned to be at your side during your time in the academy.” Byleth spoke, looking down to the animal, and with one simple command, the dog went over to Dimitri and began sniffing around him before sitting in front of him, looking up to him with its tail wagging excitedly.

“Professor, I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.” Dimitri looked confused and hesitant, Dedue raising an eyebrow as he seemed to not understand either. It was an expected reaction, so he moved to Dimitri and put a hand on his shoulder.

“I’ve noticed how you’ve been and I’ve been concerned.” Though his expression had no emotion, it was evident that he spoke the truth. “Viribus is an animal that has been trained to support you emotionally, since I am unable to help in that aspect. I care about you.” Byleth said, then Dimitri’s face was red, then looked down to the animal, who still has its eyes trained on the blonde. With a silent nod, Dimitri gulped and leaned down to pet the dog, though he was slightly trembling, not wanting to harm the animal. Gently he patted the dog’s head, and in response the animal leaned into his touch.

It was a touching sight, seeing him open up to the dog, while Dedue looked at the professor. It was a look he saw anytime that he supported Dimitri, a look of gratitude. Byleth only nodded in response. For a moment, it looked like Dimitri was holding back tears.

~

The next few weeks were training the animal and training Dimitri how to have the animal by his side, teaching them commands and what his own triggers were. The dog was smart, smarter than Byleth thought any animal could be. Some days it was overwhelming for Dimitri, but he worked through it.

Everyone in the Blue Lions respected the animal, even if they didn’t understand right away why their house leader was missing classes some days. Though if anyone could see that Dimitri was struggling, it was them. Byleth taught them the basics, and instructed them on what to do if the animal was acting up. It was an entire week dedicated to learning what to do in case something happened, and everyone took part in it, even Felix begrudgingly.

~

Days on missions were the hardest, out of fear for the animal’s life on a battlefield. It was Dimitri who made the decision to leave the dog at the monastery. Those were the days he needed the animal’s support the most, fighting and bleeding brought him back to a dangerous place that made him tremble some days, but the moment they would step onto monastery grounds, the animal would come charging at full speed towards the prince, and every time he would drop what he was holding and kneel down to hold the animal. Everyone knew to simply leave him to receive the support he needed and kept moving, though Ingrid and Mercedes were ones to stick around for him after he would come out of his episodes.

Byleth had also grown to appreciate the animal, because it was clear to see the difference it made in Dimitri’s daily life. He was no longer alerted by other students that Dimitri would wake up screaming in the middle of the night, that he wasn’t as violent while training against dummies or soldiers.

It was rare to see him without the animal anymore, the small dog would follow him around everywhere he went, training, tournaments, meals, and class. Though a lot of people didn't understand why Dimitri had a dog, and a lot of people would even talk behind his back and make jokes at his expense. Though Sylvain and Ingrid were often the first ones to stand up for him, Dimitri never let it bother him.

~

Over a cup of tea, Dimitri sat at the table sneaking small bits of pastry to his animal companion when he was sure the professor wasn’t looking. Seeing him get happier and healthier made Byleth happy, the results of having the service animal was more than he could have ever asked for. He’d even gotten a small basket of various liquor and food sent to Manuela as a thank you gift for her help in being there for his student. Taking a sip of his tea, Dimitri’s eyes were downcast for a second, smiling slightly as he found the courage to say something.

“Professor, I…” He started and caught his attention. “I wish to thank you, for doing what you have to support me. Viribus… They’ve helped me in more ways than I can explain.” With a small sniffle, Byleth handed him a napkin, his eyes on him as he spoke. Though he didn’t respond, Dimitri still was thankful. “Thank you.”

It was strange to see a soft side of Dimitri, and it was enough to make Byleth’s heart skip a beat, and the slightest hint of a smile appeared. Reaching over, he put a hand over Dimitri’s and nodded in response, making the other’s cheeks go pink as they sat together enjoying the tea together as they talked about the new addition to Dimitri’s life.

~

Byleth woke up with no recognition of what had happened, not sure where he was or what time it was, all he knew was that he needed to make his way back to the monastery to check on his students. The last thing he remembered was falling off a cliff to his death after seeing Dimitri and Claude fight, by Dimitri’s side was his loyal dog that alerted him when the next soldier was headed their way. After Sothis woke him, he knew he had to go see what happened. It was a shock to hear that five years had passed by, and it only made him more driven to go see what happened.

Quickly, he made his way up the goddess tower, walking up the steps past the corpses of dead soldiers. Luckily he was still able to move rather well after being asleep for five years, which was still hard to believe. But Byleth didn’t know what to believe anymore, and all he knew was that something was telling him to go there.

Suddenly, he was greeted with the sound of growling, and he froze, getting ready to draw the sword of the creator, looking around until he looked into the shadows. It was a man with long, oily unkempt blonde hair. His face was coated with blood and grime, and emptiness behind his one blue eye. Beside him sat a three legged dog, one that was growling before recognizing the scent, and immediately stopped.

Without hesitation, Byleth walked towards the figure into the light, and held his hand out to the figure, but to his surprise, Dimitri turned away, his empty expression was one that made the pit in his stomach drop.

“I should have known that one day you would be haunting me as well.” His voice was rough and matured, the dog nestled into his side when he noticed the sign of anxiety and hesitation. But even despite the animal’s comfort, he ground his teeth as he spoke. “You… What must I do to be rid of you?” He stood up, and the dog stood at his side. With one hand, he gently patted the animal on its head before looking back at the professor, an expression he didn’t recognize on his face. Horror and terror, but also remorse. “I will kill that woman, I swear it. Do not look upon me with scorn in your eyes!” He lashed out, but the feeling of the animal’s support kept him from directly attacking the figure, going back to his empty shell of himself.

“Dimitri, everything will be okay.” Byleth attempted to calm him, and hearing his voice must have shocked him to his core, causing him to stumble back, the dog moving behind him to stop him from stumbling into the wall.

Dimitri expressed that he couldn’t believe that the professor was alive, even after all those years. “You… It can’t be!” Emotions were high, and he trembled once again. “Hmph. If that is the case… That can only mean you are another Imperial spy. Did you come to kill me? Answer the question.”

Byleth was taken back, and if anything hurt at the accusation that was being thrown at him. “Of course not.” His answer was short and his voice monotone, but the frown on his face was enough to make Dimitri start to walk away, pushing past the professor with the dog by his side. The animal looked up to Byleth before staying loyal at his master’s side. “I’m glad you’re safe.” Byleth tried calling out to him, but the taller man only froze in place, his fists clenched.

“Am I?”

~

It took months upon months to get Dimitri’s trust, even when the entirety of his class was back to him, all except Dedue, he still refused to open up to anyone in his life. It hurt Byleth, like someone had taken his borrowed heart and punched it. He wanted to try and reach out, but DImitri refused to let anyone get too close to him. Every now and then though, he’d see him at the cathedral, along with his trusted companion beside him. As much as it hurt to see the man that he had grown to admire and appreciate like this, despite his rough life for the past five years; Byleth was glad to see that if anyone stuck by him, it was the animal.

~

The reunion between Dedue and Dimitri made him realize just how fortunate he was to have his people around him, to have the support of those who believed in him and got him to wake up from his long awaited nightmare. Before having his loyal retainer at his side, he was afraid of facing those that he had let down, afraid of facing his people of Faerghus, but not anymore. He knew that he needed to reclaim the throne and take down Edelgard. Not to mention the sacrifice of Rodrigue… It changed his entire life, and now all he could do was move forward and do what he needed to do.

And it was because of his professor.

One of the days, Byleth was surprised when Dimitri had asked him to tea, not expecting to ever get to enjoy the simplistic act of sharing tea together ever again, but here he was, a few weeks until the big fight for Faergus, no, for Fodlan would take place. No longer was Dimitri consumed by the void, consumed with the idea of revenge. It was nice to see Dimitri look peaceful for once, and when he sat down, the blonde man grinned slightly at him, thanking him for joining.

Viribus went over to greet the professor, allowing the green haired man to pet and play with him before returning to his master. “Professor… Thank you.” Byleth smiled slightly, shaking his head when Dimitri thanked him, and the blonde sipped his tea. “Please… Please allow me to express my gratitude.” He asked, and Byleth shrugged slightly, but the small smile still on his lips. When was the last time he’d heard Dimitri speak so freely? As he drank his tea, he pet the dog, who sat proudly beside him. It was silent, but Byleth couldn’t help but ask.

“What happened to Viribus?” It was a simple question, and Dimitri frowned.

“During the fight for Garreg Mach, someone had swung and tried to end his life as a way to get to me. I was able to deflect to attack, but the soldier still man still caused a significant gasp into his leg. Later when I escaped with him, his leg had to be amputated out of risk of his blade being poisoned.” It was a sad story, but the three legged dog’s tail wagged as his eyes looked up to Dimitri. When his blue eye looked at the dog, he smiled slightly. “He never left my side, even when I had to amputate his leg.”

The rest of their tea was simply enjoying each other's company, and Dimitri felt something he hadn’t felt in a very, very long time. The feeling of admiration and the remnants of his innocent crush from five years ago.

~

Finally, the fight was over, before his and Byleth’s eyes, the monster transformed into Edelgard and she knew that was when her fight was over. Dimitri no longer looked at her with pure, unadulterated hate, and instead was willing to spare her. He didn’t want to kill her. Luckily Viribus was unharmed at his side. They watched as the flesh that once was the giant monster floated away, and her eyes opened to look at him. Byleth stood behind him, waiting for Dimitri to leave with him. Once she fully transformed back to normal, Dimitri offered a hand to her, his expression was soft, and he clutched Areadbhar in his other hand.

“El…” His voice was soft, but it still echoed in the empty room, and he smiled slightly to her. He wanted to reach out to her and tell her that it was okay to reach back. Edelgard looked stunned, her eyes looking into his one before suddenly the sound of something unsheathing hit their ears and in a single reflex, he lunged his lance into her, while the dagger hit his shoulder. He didn’t make a noise or flinch at the feeling of the metal piercing his body. Silently, he removed his relic and she fell over, the dog was nervously going to his side, whining softly out of concern. Everything happened so fast that Byleth hadn’t even had a chance to react, only rushing to his side. Seeing that it was finally over, he sheathed the sword of the creator with a frown, then turned away to start leaving. He wanted to give Dimitri time to mourn, but he was surprised when he heard a grunt and the clang of metal, the dagger being dropped on the ground and promptly he was joined by Dimitri.

The door opened, and light filled the room. Viribus was still whining softly at Dimitri’s side when he went to go back, but Byleth quickly grabbed his hand. The simple action surprised the Prince and he turned back, seeing the frown on his treasured professor's face with a shake of his head was enough to tell him that it was time to leave and not look back.

~

After everything, Dimitri was finally prepared to have his coronation to become king, something that made him ever so nervous and unsure if he was the right fit, but after the support of those around him, he was finally ready to follow through with his destiny, and be the man he knew that he needed to be. They had returned to Garreg Mach for the last time before returning to the capital of the Kingdom, and that was where Byleth and Dimitri met, the night breeze was cool and calming. For a moment, nothing was said Until Dmitri looked over to Byleth, smiling slightly. “Come now my friend, you must stop staying up so late. Tomorrow is yet another early morning.” Hearing Dimitri lecture him earned a small grin, he had come a long way since they first met. The hound at his side sat, looking at the two of them with its big brown eyes, and Byleth looked back to the soon-to-be king. “Then again, I know that matters little. You cannot sleep, can you? Neither can I, of course. I... I want you to know I am sorry for making you do so much when your battle wounds aren't even completely healed yet.”

It was true, Byleth’s wounds were still sore and bandaged, but he knew that nothing could push him to miss being here with Dimitri, his hands fidgeting with a small item in his coat pocket to distract him from an odd sense of nervousness.

“What of yours?” The ex-professor asked, not wanting the other to worry about him, and in fact he was more concerned with the stab wound in his shoulder from the dagger Edelgard threw at him.

“Do not worry about me... My shoulder has healed nicely. I still have some numbness in my hand, but it should not hinder me too much.” Dimitri wanted to encourage him not to worry, and hearing that he was alright did get Byleth to relax slightly. Silence fell upon the two men as they moved so they could stare at the stars together, both of them not wanting to be the one to break the silence. Dimitri was fighting off an incoming blush, while Byleth was slipping deeper into his thoughts.

The two of them made idle chat about their hopes and nightmares, the nightmare that no longer occupied his thoughts about the ghosts of his past. As he began to tremble, Viribus stood by his side and whined softly to get his attention, and Dimitri instinctively patted the dog’s head, using him as a means to not let his anxiety get the best of him. He did calm down and the shaking in his voice calmed down, and he began to talk about how he intended on living a good life so that one day the voices may be gone one day, even if it would take a long time. He talked about the kind of king he wanted to be, a king that could ensure that everyone would live in peace, that he would improve the living for orphans and the homeless. Even making a comment about the newest addition to the ghosts who would haunt him, claiming that he knew she would simply laugh at his simple ambitions.

Listening to Dimitri say all of this made Byleth smile, even if it was a small smile, it was genuine, and he watched as Dimitri worked out a way to vocalize his thoughts.

“Well, Your Grace, things will get busy from tomorrow on. Our first order of business is tomorrow’s coronation.” He started, looking over to his mentor, to the man who had guided him out of the darkness and will be the one to guide him into the light. “Once a Professor and student… Now an archbishop and a king. How very far we’ve come.

Hearing that Byleth only shook his head. “We are still the same. Only our titles have changed.”

The response made Dimitri laugh, a reaction that always got Byleth’s heart to skip, even if it didn’t literally beat. It was music to his ears, especially not hearing it for long before. “That is true. To me, you will always be the one who guided me so kindly. My ally through all. That is why…” Dimitri carried off, his gaze suddenly not meeting Byleth and it made the other man look up to him, wondering what exactly was going on. He was nervous as he finally looked to him and took a deep breath. “Listen, there is something I must give you before the coronation.”

Taking Byleth’s hand into his, his free hand pulled out a ring, a ring with a beautiful green gem on it that matched his hair perfectly. It was a shock to Byleth, though his expression remained unchanged for the majority, his eyebrows raising in surprise as he looked at the jewelry. His silence made Dimitri nervous as he held onto the other’s hand a bit tighter, worried about rejection or something akin to that.

“Please, I beg of you to say something.” His voice was almost desperate, and Byleth grinned slightly, closing his eyes. “If you do not wish to accept it, then please tell me. If that is the case, I will take my leave.” Before Dimitri could turn away, Viribus let out a soft bark to get Dimitri’s attention to the fact that Byleth’s free hand had taken out the one thing he made sure to hold onto from his father, the ring his father gave him to pass onto the love of his life, who he would want to spend forever with. “What is this-”

“You beat me to it.”

The look of shock and confusion was his initial reaction before he smiled, nodding as his brain was still understanding what this meant.

“Yes… I see, then let us exchange them, shall we?”

As they exchanged rings, the two of them hugged, Dimitri holding the other man close as he let out the breath he had been hold, and the two of them stayed like that for a while, neither of them believing that the other accepted.

Shortly after everything, Dimitri became the king of Faerghus, much to his people’s joy. He made sure that everyone that followed after him were looked after, having Ingrid and Ashe fulfill their dream of becoming a knight, Sylvain and Felix became leaders of their respective houses, Annette became a teacher at the School of Sorcery in Fhirdiad and Mercedes led an orphanage, inspiring and raising children for the rest of their days. By Dimitri’s side, Dedue stayed. Byleth became the new archbishop of Garreg Mach, and after everything, the newly appointed archbishop and the king had married.

Forever since that point, the two of them devoted their lives to improving conditions for everyone, for the people on the streets, for the orphans with nowhere to turn to, to those who were turned away because they had loved another of the same gender. Until the end of his days, Dimitri had his husband by his side, along with his loyal dog- no, his loyal companion until his last breath.


End file.
